We are now The Institute for Civil Dialogue

The Institute for Civil Dialogue is established to foster civility in the public sphereNonprofit corporation will train facilitators and produce public events on hot topics

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Phoenix, Arizona – April 2, 2014. In response to a steep decline in civility in society, the creators of a unique format — Civil Dialogue®— have established The Institute for Civil Dialogue as a nonprofit corporation in Arizona.

At a Civil Dialogue event, a hot topic is presented to the audience. Volunteer participants are invited to embody their opinion and values, filling a semi-circle of five chairs on stage: “agree strongly,” “agree somewhat,” “neutral/undecided,” “disagree somewhat,” and “disagree strongly.” A facilitator guides their discussion, following a structure that ensures all voices are heard. The dialogue is then extended to the full audience who are encouraged to respond with their own opinions and questions. Attendees have expressed appreciation for the opportunity to be heard and to listen to other opinions in a safe place.

Jennifer Linde, John Genette, Clark Olson are the
Co-founders of The Institute for Civil Dialogue

The unique Civil Dialogue format was conceived by John Genette, M.A., while he was a graduate student in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at Arizona State University. The inaugural event was held at The Empty Space at ASU following the 2004 presidential debate in Tempe. Jennifer Linde, M.A., (pictured left) artistic director of The Empty Space, encouraged John to develop the format and helped facilitate subsequent events. Genette and Linde were soon joined by their Hugh Downs School colleague Clark Olson, Ph.D, who has spurred nationwide interest in the format through conference presentations and publications. Genette, Linde, and Olson will serve as the Institute’s founding directors.

Civil Dialogue has been effectively used throughout the community and in the academy to model and restore civility to controversial communication. It is an established part of the curriculum at the Hugh Downs School at Arizona State University. “We’re ready for a wider audience,” said Genette, president of the new Institute. “Civil Dialogue has the power to be influential in allowing individuals to express their viewpoints on hot topics in a variety of contexts. Establishing the Institute will help us expand our outreach to the general public and develop a training program so facilitators can add Civil Dialogue to their toolbox.”